Examining role of judiciary: ICJ constitutes high-level mission

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), South Asia Programme has constituted a high-level mission to examine the role of the judiciary and the separation of powers in Pakistan. The mission comprises Judge Stefan Trechsel (Chair) from Switzerland and Graham Leung from Fiji. Their visit is scheduled between September 7-8 and September 12-15.
According to the ICJ statement issued on Friday, the mission sought to examine the functioning of the judiciary by interviewing and consulting with a broad range of actors in the judiciary and legal profession, government, and civil society, visiting courts, bar associations and universities, and researching rule of law cases and controversies.
The ICJ seeks to investigate the impact of several recent cases, which have attracted controversy at the bar, and the notion of separation of powers and judicial independence. The mission planed to release preliminary findings and observations at the end of the trip with recommendations for addressing conflicts within the framework of rule of law and human rights. A final research and advocacy report will be prepared and disseminated after the mission.